What Is the Timeline on Sam Darnold’s Return to the Field?

The Seattle Seahawks have refrained from offering up specifics about Darnold’s expected return, but we have enough information to map it out.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after the game at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Mike Macdonald doesn’t seem like a big timetable guy to me. When it comes to injuries, he may know what’s going on, but he’s not disclosing it until it’s required. It’s an understandable way to do business, given how valuable information is in this league. So I understand why we’ve been given no official timetable on the return of Sam Darnold. But let’s review what we know.

No Consideration of Injured Reserve

The first clue that we’ve been given concerning Darnold’s length of absence was from a report on Thursday from Tom Pelissero. According to him, there was ‘no consideration’ of placing Darnold on IR, which would have sidelined him for four games and removed him from the roster to make another player slot available. The wording makes the team sound confident.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) fakes a hand off safety during the first quarter against New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Confidence is no guarantee, but clearly the team believes there’s no realistic possibility of Darnold needing an extended period of time to recover. This suggests he’ll be ready to go by the San Francisco 49ers game in week five at the latest. While things can change, that gives us a window to work with when trying to figure this stuff out.

Ian Rapoport With The…Report

The other bit of information we’ve received here is from Ian Rapoport, who appeared on Good Morning Football on Friday to discuss assorted injury updates. On Darnold, he said that it was expected that he would miss the week two game against the Cardinals, which I think we all assumed. Beyond that, however, it sounds like anything is possible.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) talks with quarterback Drew Lock (2) prior to a game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rapoport thinks it’s possible Sam only misses that one game. The phrase he used was ‘probably a few weeks’. If few means three, that puts him on schedule to be back for the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. In this instance, the team playing their first game on Wednesday helps, since it gives him extra time to get back.

The Final Word

Basically, here’s how I translate all this. Sam Darnold will miss the Cardinals game, he will likely miss the Commanders game, and he might miss the Chargers game. Things can change, and we might have inaccurate information, but that seems to be the range of realistic possibilities. Given where things could have gone, that’s about as good as it gets for this team.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This team is clearly good enough to beat the Cardinals and Commanders with Drew Lock. Maybe not the Chargers, but even that isn’t a foregone conclusion. And if the team has to lose a game to an AFC opponent to protect Darnold’s health, then so be it. He’ll be back soon. Hopefully, nothing changes, and we can still have the season we all hoped for.

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